Film vs Film
Select two cult films to compare side by side.
The Dead Line Synopsis
Sonora Slim discovers Dry Wash Wilson dying in the desert and learns he has discovered a mine and has been shot by a bandit. Sonora is arrested by two rangers, but he disarms them and rides on killer Snake Smeed's trail. Smeed joins his partner, Silver Sam McGee, in San Blas, across the border, while Sonora confides in Juan Álvarez, captain of the rurales, about the killing; but Juan breaks with Sonora when he learns that Lolita, his beloved, is in love with him. Meanwhile, Alice Wilson, daughter of the slain man, and "Extra" Long are on their way to the mine and believe Sonora to be the wanted man. Lolita overhears McGee and Smeed plot to capture Sonora and warns Álvarez. Sonora saves the lives of Alice and Extra when their buckboard crashes over a cliff, and they are ambushed by the bandits but rescued by the rurales.
Man's Plaything Synopsis
While working as a flower girl in Devlin Maddox's nightclub, Nellie Vaughan meets wealthy young Pelton Van Teel and falls in love. Maddox, desirous of using Nellie to blackmail Van Teel, spreads a rumor that she is his mistress. This makes Nellie uncomfortable, and she demands that Van Teel marry her immediately, to which he agrees. Meanwhile, Van Teel has been losing money gambling to Maddox, who threatens to break up the marriage by producing a worthless check that the young husband has written. Venturing to Maddox's apartment for a showdown, Nellie pulls a gun and demands the check, accidentally shooting Maddox when he throws a lamp at her. Maddox plans to charge Nellie with assault, but when the police arrive, his butler, actually a detective employed by the elder Van Teel, exposes Maddox, who is then arrested, clearing the path for the couple's happiness.
"The Dead Line" holds a slight edge in general audience appreciation, but "Man's Plaything" offers its own unique cult appeal.
Suggested Watch:
The Dead LineBoth films share